Laura Mumaw, Luis Mata

Biodiversity in urban environments continues to decline, alongside diminution of human connections with nature and community. An integrated ethic and practice of caring for one’s human and ecological community could help address these issues. Here, we describe how wildlife gardening can be such a pathway. We snapshot related social dynamics and human wellbeing benefits, highlighting a case study that reveals an array of connections and wellbeing facets from wildlife gardening, and their relationship with number of activities and time spent in the garden. We outline how positive biodiversity outcomes can be attained through habitat improvement in gardens. We describe how integration of nature and human community stewardship can work across physical and political boundaries when government and communities work collaboratively. We argue that wildlife gardening carried out in this manner can involve urban residents in crafting and enacting an intertwined ethic and practice of caring for nature and humanity.